Be aware though that Ghostery doesn't block googleapis.com because a number of websites don't work if it's blocked.

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Stack Exchange is one of those sites. It's quite a contradiction that they'd discuss the privacy risks of Google APIs on a site that uses them. They should read their own pages.
Ghostery might not block Google APIs but Request Policy does. I've taken a layered approach to blocking Google and several others. My Firewall, Kerio 2.1.5 has a "custom address group" feature that lets you create rules that apply to all the addresses in the list. I've added all of the IP ranges that I'm aware of for Google, Twitter, Facelessbook, LinkedIn and a few others to that list and have blocked them for everything but the Tor exit. I've also added them to the adlist in Proxomitron which blocks any link that contains their names. Between those and Request Policy, I don't see any content from any of them. On those rare occasions that I need to see something from Google, I'll view it through Tor.

So if you think about opening your web browser, going to your browsing history, randomly picking 23% of the pages in there, and then sending them in this case to Googleapis.com – that’s basically what we are already doing.

[...]

The Wall Street Journal published some leaked documents where Google was debating linking up their personal and anonymous data. So it’s something that could actually be happening already or certainly can happen in the future.

Also remember that Google is contacted through browsers built-in Phishing and Malware
protection settings when enabled.

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Fortunately I don't have those. IMO, relying on any service to catch malicious sites and phishing is not only futile, your trading your privacy for pseudo-security. If your browser is configured and equipped properly, it should resist most malicious sites. I wouldn't rule out Google DNS as a big tracker, whether they acknowledge it or not.

I realize that most users aren't going to blacklist Google, Facelessbook, Twitville, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. I also realize that most users aren't browsing through Tor, VPNs, or proxies to protect their privacy. There is a way for users of FireFox and other Gecko browsers who use those sites to have the best of both worlds. Take a look at the autoproxy extension. You can automatically proxy the sites of your choosing. The last time I tried it, it worked with filtering proxies like Proxomitron and worked with Tor. It should be able to work with VPNs with a bit of effort.

Forgot to mention also that if one blocks 'Google' you won't be able to scan files on
'virustotal' if you want to use that service. Then of course there is 'Youtube' which Google
acquired in 2006. Google is all over the web.

For me it is pretty simple. First, I do my best to not use their services, unless I really need them (for some complex searches, Google Search cannot be avoided). Second, I block every domain related to their tracking/advertising programs from my DNS resolver. For sites that require googleapis.com I have a slightly different approach: instead of blocking Google API from DNS, I use NoScript on a site by site basis.

This way, I can still use their services when I need them and I can limit their tracking, especially when visiting a 3rd party site.

Yes please. It is so irritating that 1/2 the web it seems runs on google. I want to do everything I can to thwart the google monster. I refuse to "join" anything google. The one downside is I do use youtube. Someone mentioned about HTML5 but I dont understand that or know how to instantiate it. Im surprised you can still watch youtube without having to register or login. Meanwhile Ive blacklisted google cookies in FF but theyve probably done a gazillion other things to circumvent that. Thats why I come to this forum, to learn and why threads like these are so helpful. I also use startpage. I find it absolutely despicable and creepy that search engines log all your search terms.

IMO, Facebook and Twitter should be added to that list. The other day I used a friends PC and was disgusted with that lousy "Like" button turning up everywhere. Been using Proxomitron for so long, I'd forgot just how ridiculous a lot of sites have become.

Names such as those supplied by KeyPer4Life are best suited for browser extensions, hosts files and filtering proxies.
IP address ranges are used in firewall blocklists, peerguardian, and routers. The best is the one that matches the tools you're using. The tools for each use different methods so they don't conflict. I use both.